Belgium’s 2026 Budget Crisis: Controversy Over Proposed 22% VAT Rate and Tax Reform

• Belgium’s 2026 federal budget debate centers on a proposed increase of the standard VAT rate from 21% to 22%.
• The government has extended budget discussions until Christmas.
• The proposal has caused a crisis within the ruling coalition, with the MR party blocking the VAT hike.
• There are also talks of merging the 6% and 12% reduced VAT rates into a single 9% rate, raising taxes on some goods.

Source: vatcalc.com

Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.

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